The present invention relates generally to processor socketing, and more specifically to a method and apparatus to prevent damaging a processor.
Microprocessors are delicate electronic equipment typically inserted into a motherboard to make contact with a card edge slot via a number of pins. Each of the pins has its own purpose and internal connections in the microprocessor. Microprocessors are provided with power through the pin connections to the motherboard. Various different processors have different power requirements.
In past microprocessor designs, a voltage regulator was typically provided on the motherboard. This voltage regulator regulated computer system power supplied to the motherboard and provided the exact amount of required power to the microprocessor and its internal components. The voltage regulator was programmed and constructed to determine the voltage level required by both the microprocessor core and cache, which typically required different voltages for operation. For each processor in a system design, one voltage regulator would be provided for each of the core and cache, since the core and cache required different voltages.
Newer microprocessor designs have advanced beyond the requirement for a voltage regulator on the motherboard. One such processor is the Cascade family of processors from Intel Corp. of Santa Clara, Calif. In the Cascade family of processors, the required voltage regulation has been moved into the processor itself. This allows the pin and power configurations for microprocessors to be standardized. Motherboards using the newer design deliver 5 or 12 volts power directly to the connector. However, older processors have the same pin configuration and layout as newer processors, because typically motherboards are designed to accommodate a wide variety of different processors. Because of this, if an older processor is connected into a newer connector, the provision of 5 volts or 12 volts to the processor without any voltage regulation could damage or destroy all or part of the processor.
For example, a Pentium(copyright) II Xeon processor manufactured by Intel Corp. of Santa Clara, Calif., has a pin configuration that matches today""s newer processors, but does not have the internal voltage regulator of a newer processor. Therefore, a Pentium II(copyright) Xeon processor could be inserted into a 5 volt or 12 volt processor slot. If this occurs, the voltage supplied to the processor will most likely be too much for the processor, and will damage or destroy part or all of the processor.
It would be desirable to provide a processor slot configuration and a method for determining what type of processor is placed into a processor slot so as to enable power to the processor or inserted card when such high voltage will not damage the processor or card.
In one embodiment, a method of preventing damage to a low voltage processor inserted into a high voltage processor connector includes detecting whether a high voltage compliant processor, a termination card, or an empty slot is present at the connector. If one of a high voltage compliant processor, a termination card, or an empty slot is detected, power is asserted to the connector.
In another embodiment, a circuit for detecting the presence of a high voltage compliant processor, a low voltage processor, a termination card, or an empty slot includes a series of logic gates arranged to assert a signal which is used to allow assertion of power to the processor.
Other embodiments are described and claimed.